One new candidate and two incumbents are seeking election to the Blair Oaks R-2 School Board on the April 6 ballot.
The Blair Oaks school board has two three-year seats available. Incumbent board member Dale Verslues and incumbent treasurer Tim Luebbering filed in December; new candidate Logan Gratz filed Wednesday.
Gratz, a real estate agent and auctioneer, is a lifelong Wardsville resident who graduated in 2014 from Blair Oaks. He said he decided to run for a seat on the board because there are many exciting things happening in the district, especially the new high school, which is expected to open in August.
"I'd really like to be a part of it," he said. "I actually kind of helped through the campaign to get that proposition passed, and that's going to be a good thing for the district."
Gratz said his main goal if elected would be to continue the success the district has had, and his other goals would be to provide teachers with as many virtual learning resources as possible and keep students and teachers in the classroom as much as possible while ensuring they are safe and healthy.
Verslues, of Taos, is running for a second term on the board. Verslues and his children attended Blair Oaks, and his grandchildren now attend.
Verslues decided to run for a seat on the board after he retired as a carpenter. He said he is seeking re-election because he wants to continue to be a part of the district's progress.
He said his goals as a board member are to continue working on the new high school and making the right decisions involving COVID-19.
"It's an exciting time with a lot of challenges," he said. "I've been involved now for a little bit and would like to stay involved through the things that are going on now."
The News Tribune previously published an article announcing Luebbering's candidacy.
Luebbering, of Wardsville, is the human resources manager for the Osage County R-3 School District. He said he decided to run for re-election because he wants to continue working on the new high school until it's complete.
His other priorities are to ensure the district is using its funds efficiently and to do what's best for the district and take everyone into consideration, "especially in these trying times of COVID," he said.
Candidate filing closes Tuesday.